On May 1st in 1961, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro banned all elections in the country. Why? As he said, “The revolution has no time for elections.” Maybe Sheriff Laurie was right; She is a dictator and there is a coup.

Sounds a lot like Sheriff Laurie. She has no time for the public to actually engage them in discussion. She doesn’t take any time to actually talk about public safety, her primary job! In a letter addressed to the DSA, she demanded the ability to “set the record straight.” Where is she now? She has been given every opportunity and yet she is nowhere to be found.

Silence from such a “strong” incumbent is often the sign of someone who has something to hide. Sheriff Laurie, your silence also tells us you have NOTHING intelligent to say. The reasons you are not accessible and not seen in front of the media is because once people get about 1 minute to talk to you, they figure out how hollow you are.

Let us start with the answer to question #1

Sheriff Laurie was famous for making friends. She and prior Merced County Sheriff Tom Sawyer had an affair. That choice screwed up his marriage and from what the Phantom has been able to find there was evidence of a restraining order at some point. But was this an isolated incident?

Today, the Phantom wants to give Sheriff Laurie a chance to tell the truth and we want to let you share in this test.

On May 1, 2014 the Phantom will reveal the answer to one of the following questions. Why May 1? Because the Phantom wants to give Sheriff Laurie and chance to do the right thing.

Go ahead and ask her a couple of these questions:

1. What was the name of the elected Sheriff whose marriage she screwed up?
2. What is one of her most famous sayings?
3. What business did Sheriff Laurie have in common with people arrested in the last couple years?
4. Where does all of her money really go?
5. What plans does she have for her next four years in office?
6. Did she ever encourage violating campaign finance laws in order to raise more money?
7. The REAL reason Sheriff Laurie provided a bodyguard to convicted and jailed ex-politician Gorge Shirokawa.
8. The statements she made about Cindy Chavez after she endorsed her.
9. What is her favorite color?
10. What activity is Sheriff Laurie famous for in the Lake Tahoe casinos?

While you do, watch for the following:
– Constantly pulling her jacket trying to close it around her waist
– Gasping for air like a puffer fish as she stalls for time to make shit up
– Attack the person asking the question instead of answering
– Stuff her face with food hoping to keep from answering questions
– Play dumb and claim she had no idea
– Blame someone else

You judge for yourself and if you don’t think you got the answer then come check back on May 1.

What makes May 1 so special? You’ll just have to check back for that answer too.

Many, many sports writers, professionals, radio personalities, and fans are calling for the 49ers to dump Al-dumb. Al-dumb’s notoriety and skill has been outweighed by his stupid and dangerous decisions. In his short time as a pro ball player, he’s managed to get arrested for DUI twice, have more than one shooting at his house, get stabbed at an out of control house party with gang members, get arrested for illegal guns, try to get Sheriff Laurie to cover up his crime, and then threaten security staff at LAX saying he had a bomb.

Just like Al-dumb, Sheriff Laurie has had her one-too-many stupid things she’s said and done. Sheriff Laurie failed to do her basic job of protecting the public and managing her office in a productive and ethical way. The Sheriff fails again and again when it comes to managing high profile crimes; failed to properly investigate the DeAnza rape case, failed to properly investigate the Audie Pott case, failed to take advantage of all the resources offered by other agencies in the Sierra Lamar murder, failed to prosecute Al-dumb for illegal weapons, failed to take the Metcalf power-plant sabotage seriously, and failed again and again to tell the truth when confronted with questions about her actions.

What people should be seeing here is Sheriff Laurie continues to fail, again and again. Why is it she doesn’t seem to learn? Because she doesn’t like someone else telling her she is wrong and what to do

This same attitude and management style can be seen in the Sheriff’s top ranks today. They fight among each other, blaming one another for failures, and hoping to avoid the wrath that is Sheriff Laurie. Once again, proof of why people are “scared” of her and even the media sees her as a bully. Between refusing to listen to other views and people scared to even talk, how is anything to get done at the Sheriff’s Office? This is exactly the problem, the Office is stuck and can’t move forward.

If the Sheriff keeps lying about what she does or doesn’t do, how we are supposed to trust her with the future of the Sheriff’s Office. Some theorize she’s screwed up the Sheriff’s Office so much with the people she has promoted and how she has divided the Office it will take years to undue the damage; and that is only if we stop now and change course. It will take even longer if Sheriff Laurie is allowed to continue driving the Sheriff’s Office into despair with a fifth term in office.

Just like Al-dumb, the voters of the County need to kick Sheriff Laurie to the curb. She should not play a single down in 2015. We cannot afford another failure because unlike Al-dumb, we are talking about the lives of people and not competitive sports. If your family or child were the victim of a crime do you want the Sheriff’s Office to investigate the case? So far, they’ve done a great job of screwing things up.

This June election, tell Sheriff Laurie you have had enough and vote her out of office. We all deserve better.

Famous words from Sheriff Laurie as she tried to cover up 49er Aldon Smith’s transgressions. There is a reason why an ethical code requires law enforcement to remain neutral and free of influence. It’s because often times morons like Aldon Smith will use their money and influence to get out of crimes they commit. Why? So they can commit more crimes. How many times has he been arrested since Sheriff Laurie’s special Taco Bell walk-through booking at the jail?

When Aldon Smith was arrested by LAPD and then booked into Los Angeles County Jail did the Sheriff’s Office:

A. Take Aldon to the Sheriff’s range to shoot guns
B. Fly Aldon around in a helicopter to help sober him up
C. Tell the public Aldon was a victim and shouldn’t be in jail
D. Take the 49ers staff on a tour of the jail
E. Turn on the blue light celebrity special and have Aldon out in less than two hours.

The Answer is……..

.

.

.

None of the above. He wasn’t in Santa Clara County.

I’m sure Aldon is looking forward to coming back home where the Sheriff is more accommodating to his type of status.

Politics is ugly, it’s expensive, and for better or for worse it is the process we are stuck with right now. Those vying for political office attempt to communicate their message to the public in an attempt to win their vote.

There are several methods of communicating a message: drawing up plans for change or improvement, public debates between the contenders, telling a story of what makes a candidate the greatest thing since sliced bread, disclosing the facts to bring light to failures and successes and if all that fails…. Throw the mud.

Apparently, Sheriff Laurie is all about throwing the mud after her interview with the Palo Alto Daily Post. Somewhere in a delusional state where she claims a coup was being organized against her (does she think she’s a dictator?), and something about compromised email systems she said, “This will be a campaign of casting stones.” Why? Probably because she does not have anything positive to share or goals she can actually accomplish. By now, you’re beginning to see why she does not have support from any law enforcement organizations. She lacks integrity and the people who work around her do not trust her.

It comes as no surprise the “San Jose Insider” is already attacking those not supporting Sheriff Laurie. You shouldn’t be surprised because the owner of the blog, Dan Pulcrono, is good friends with her. So much so he gave Sheriff Laurie’s daughter, and campaign treasurer, a job at the Metro (also owned by Pulcrono). Has anyone yet asked Dan what favors Sheriff Laurie has done for him?

Pulcrono has been silent (at least under his name) since he went after Cindy Chavez in last years election. The one thing that Dan Pulcrono and Sheriff Laurie seem to share is a paranoia Victor Ajlouny is lurking around and conspiring against Sheriff Laurie. The San Jose Insider “The Fly” recently accused the Sheriff Deputies and Jail Guards of using Victor to smear Sheriff Laurie. I guess things must be getting a little desperate out there in the Sheriff’s race. The mythical boogieman must be hiding under every bed and every closet these days. It’s nice having a news blogger like Dan Pulcrono on your side when you need to cast stones. Sheriff Laurie better call out the Ghost Busters because last I heard, stones do not work against fictional creatures who are not there.

If you are up on politics at all you would have seen a fiction piece written Sheriff Laurie’s political consoler, Rich Robinson. In the poll conducted on her behalf it shows the weakness that is Sheriff Laurie. A four-term incumbent with only 51% (+/- 3.7%) of respondents saying they would vote for her before they sales pitch was written?

Politically speaking, that’s pathetic! The article then goes on to say that the other candidates are virtually unknown. Can you say DUH!? Of course they are unknown. The other people who are running are not four-term incumbents who do nothing more than worry about how good they look, and not about how they are serving the public’s interest.

Sheriff Lauries’s political consoler goes on to say the poll shows her rating is “dizzying”. The article reads more like an episode of pitchmen than a poll of facts.

The Phantom had to do a double-take after reading an article by the same political consoler in which he states, “In short, they (San Jose Mayor candidates) should reject a poll driven campaign and engage focus on their strengths.”

The political consoler goes on to say, “The biggest complaint against politicians, in general, is the willingness to pander to the electorate instead of showing integrity and leadership. Voters can vote for someone while disagreeing on some issues, but they will not support people who lack veracity. Integrity is the single most important issue for voters, including crime—but it is rarely quantified in a poll.

Ok, maybe it’s just the Phantom who is confused. So are we supposed to look at the polls and how popular Sheriff Laurie is? Or are we supposed to seek out a candidate who has integrity because it is the single most important issue?

Rich, you appear to be arguing with yourself because I know, you know Sheriff Laurie. “Integrity” was torn from her dictionary a long, long time ago. The Phantom does agree with you on one point you make: You can’t quantify integrity in a poll. The meaning of the poll conducted on behalf of Sheriff Laurie could be titled, “Approximately 51% of voters don’t yet know how much integrity Sheriff Laurie lacks.”

Come on Sheriff Laurie, show us your integrity. Let’s see a debate among all the candidates for Sheriff and let us judge for ourselves instead of having a political consoler try to convince us through a phone poll.

Sheriff Laurie finally got a new mugshot. It’s only been how many years since she was photographed in uniform? I will bet the uniform was gone over with a fine tooth comb by someone in her management team before she put it on. Especially since the last time she wore her formal jacket it had old patches everyone else had to change out in 2005. Why the new photo? Probably because her political consoler told her, “No one knows who you are anymore because your published pictures don’t look like you.” Finally, someone told the emperor they were not wearing any clothes. The reality is people don’t know who the Sheriff is. More on that in another post.

Isn’t it amazing what election season brings out in an incumbent? You don’t hear or see them at all until they want your vote. It’s good we have elections on a regular basis because in the spirit of our economy, it brings competition. We have the opportunity to see what new technology has created, what changes in the marketplace have done to pricing and supply, different ways of delivering service, and a chance to look for other products to fill our needs.

Take for example the ill fated Trabant. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It was a very inexpensive car. Rolling it off the lot was probably like any other new car. There is nothing quite like that new car smell. The Trabant was good for a while; drove great, light on the pocket book, got you where you needed to go. But after a while you start to have engine problems. The wheel bearings start grinding and need to be replaced. The suspension starts falling apart and it feels like your bouncing on a pogo stick.

You dump more and more money into the car thinking you can maintain your investment, all the while trying to convince yourself it is better than buying a new car. You miss appointments because your car keeps dying on the road; able to pass everything but a service station. You can’t even get spare parts because they don’t make them anymore. At some point you finally decide that the cost of the Trabant is too great and the frustration of loosing access to transportation is intolerable. You dump the car. By the time you add all the costs of repair and lost time you paid three times over for that Trabant.

The next car you buy you take time the time to do your homework and figure out what car will provide the greatest value, factoring in the ongoing costs of maintenance and operation, features, gas mileage, etc. Why? Because you learned the value of a car is measured in its total cost, comfort, and reliability. You can’t get business done and be successful with a car that is always breaking down.

Just like the Trabant, Sheriff Laurie seemed like a good idea at the time. And like the Trabant, she worked out for a while. Right now, the engine has been repaired over ten times and we can’t find any more parts to fix it. How much money are we going to dump into Sheriff Laurie to keep her running? How much more money will she cost the County for failed investigations and poor management? How much more grief will Sheriff Laurie cause victims in Santa Clara County with poor management that results in an impotent public safety response.

The Sheriff’s Office manages over $300 million in taxpayer money every year. It is time to reevaluate what the market has available and stop wasting our time and money with Sheriff Laurie.